Miami-Dade Transit is the public transit authority in Miami-Dade County, Florida. It is the largest transit system in Florida, and one of the largest in the U.S.. It currently operates the Metrobus, Metrorail, Metromover, and Paratransit (STS) systems.

Contents

1 History 2 Metrobus 2.1 South Miami-Dade Busway 3 Metrorail 3.1 Stations 4 Metromover 4.1 Metromover Stations 5 Paratransit (STS) 6 Other projects 7 See also 8 External links

History

In 1960, the Dade County Commission passed an ordinance creating the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) to unify the different transit operations into one countywide service. This ordinance provided for the purchase, development, and operation of an adequate mass transit system by the County. These companies included the Miami Transit Company, Miami Beach Railway Company, South Miami Coach Lines, and Keys Transit Company on Key Biscayne and would be managed by National City Management Company. Over the years and under various administrations, MTA evolved into the Metro-Dade Transportation Administration, the Metro-Dade Transit Agency, the Miami-Dade Transit Agency, and is now known simply as Miami-Dade Transit (MDT).

Today's MDT has a viable four-mode system — Metrobus, Metrorail, Metromover, and Paratransit — used by nearly 300,000 passengers daily.

Metrobus

The Metrobus network provides bus service throughout Miami-Dade County 365 days a year. It consists of nearly 100 routes and 900 buses, which connect most points in the county and part of southern Broward County as well. Twenty-one (21) of these routes operate around the clock: most other routes operate from 4 AM to 2:30 AM.

All Metrobuses are wheelchair accessible, in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.

Along US 1 in southern Miami-Dade, Metrobus service uses an exclusive right-of-way called the South Miami-Dade Busway.

South Miami-Dade Busway

The South Miami-Dade Busway is an exclusive busway, which began operating in 1997. It is an alternative to daily traffic congestion. The 8.2-mile roadway was built by the Florida Department of Transportation just for Metrobus routes. Express buses on the exclusive lanes shuttles passengers to and from Dadeland South Station (see Metrorail) in just 25 minutes.

Both full-size buses and minibuses operate on the Busway and in adjacent neighborhoods, entering the exclusive lanes at major intersections. Local and limited-stop service is offered between Florida City and Dadeland South Metrorail Station. A Park & Ride lot is also located at the Turnpike on SW 152 Street and 117 Avenue. Riders headed downtown can transfer from Metrorail to Metromover, a people mover downtown circulator, at Government Center Station.

Busway consists of thirty (30) stations. Each station contains up-to-date transit information—maps, schedules, brochures—with newspapers, benches, and public phones added for customer comfort and convenience. Additionally, a multi-use path stretches the length of the Busway.

Metrorail

Metrorail currently operates on one elevated, heavy rail, 22.4 mile state-of-the-art metro line. It began service on May 20, 1984 servicing Dadeland South north to Overtown/Arena stations. Following, the rest of the stations were opened in two additional phases: in December 1984 and May 1985. The most recent addition to the line, Palmetto station, opened in May 2003.

The line runs from 5 a.m. until 1 a.m., seven days a week. Trains arrive every six minutes during weekday rush hours (6:30 a.m. - 9 a.m.; 3:30 p.m. - 6 p.m.), every 8-10 minutes at midday, and every 15-30 minutes after 6 p.m. until closing. Weekend service runs every 15 minutes until approximately 8 p.m., then every 30 minutes until closing. A limited-stop route, the Midnight Owl, operates hourly between 12:30 a.m. and 5:30 a.m., stopping at or near Metrorail stations or transfer points between Palmetto and Dadeland South Metrorail stations.

Metrorail runs from the northwest in Medley through Hialeah, into the city of Miami, the downtown area, and ending in southwest Miami-Dade at Dadeland Mall. There are 22 accessible Metrorail stations, one about every mile (or 1.6 kilometers). Metrorail connects to the Metromover system at Government Center and Brickell Stations and to the Tri-Rail commuter rail system at Tri-Rail Station (see below).

Immediate plans are in place to extend the Metrorail network to Miami International Airport, Miami Lakes and Pro Player Stadium (see Other projects). By 2025, the Metrorail is planned to serve the entire Miami Metropolitan Area, extending as far south as Florida City, as far west as Doral, and as far north as southern Broward County.

Stations

• Palmetto Station
• Okeechobee Station
• Hialeah Station
• Tri-Rail Station
• Northside Station
• Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Station
• Brownsville Station
• Earlington Heights Station
• Allapattah Station
• Santa Clara Station
• Civic Center Station
• Culmer Station
• Overtown/Arena Station
• Government Center Station
• Brickell Station
• Vizcaya Station
• Coconut Grove Station
• Douglas Road Station
• University Station
• South Miami Station
• Dadeland North Station
• Dadeland South Station

Metromover

Metromover is a free automated people mover system (APM) that serves downtown Miami from Omni to Brickell and connects with Metrorail at Government Center and Brickell stations.

It originally began service to the Downtown Loop on April 17, 1986. The Omni and Brickell extensions (see below) opened May 26, 1994.

There are 20 conveniently located accessible Metromover stations, one about every two blocks. Metromover links many of downtown Miami's major office buildings, hotels, and retail centers, the Stephen P. Clark Government Center, the Cultural Plaza (Miami Art Museum, Historical Museum, Main Library), and the Brickell business district.

The Downtown (Inner) Loop runs clockwise around the area. It serves all Outer Loop stations except for Third Street Station (see below). The Outer Loop (Brickell and Omni Loops) run counterclockwise around the downtown area servicing all stations except for Miami Avenue Station.

Metromover Stations

• School Board
• Omni
• Eleventh Street
• Park West
• Freedom Tower
• College North
• Arena/State Plaza
• Government Center
• Miami Avenue
• Third Street
• Knight Center
• Bayfront Park
• First Street
• College/Bayside
• Riverwalk
• Fifth Street
• Eighth Street
• Tenth Street/Promenade
• Brickell
• Financial District

Paratransit (STS)

Paratransit/Special Transportation Services (STS) is available for people with a mental or physical disability that cannot ride Metrobus, Metrorail, or Metromover. For $2.50 per one-way trip, STS offers shared-ride, door-to-door travel in accessible vehicles throughout most of Miami-Dade County, in some parts of south Broward County, and in the middle and northern Keys . STS operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, including most holidays.

Other projects

• Technology and Corridor Improvements: Two corridors, totaling 26.7 miles of rapid transit, have completed the planning phase and are ready to enter into final design and construction -- the North Corridor and East-West Corridor.

• • The North Corridor is a 9.5-mile northward extension from the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Metrorail Station (see above), along NW 27th Avenue to NW 215th Street (Miami-Dade/Broward County line); with proposed stations at Northside Shopping Center, MDC-North Campus, City of Opa-locka, Palmetto Expressway, Carol City Shopping Center, Pro Player Stadium and the Florida Turnpike. The North Corridor (part of the original Rapid Transit Plan) will receive top priority to go into Final Design and Construction phase. Construction is scheduled to be completed between 2009 and 2012.

• • The East-West Corridor consists of two segments, one from the Florida Turnpike east to the Palmetto Expressway (SR 826) and from the Palmetto, through Miami International Airport, downtown Miami, and to the Port of Miami, 6-miles and 11.2 miles respectively. These sites have been identified as potential station locations: Florida Turnpike, NW 107th Avenue, NW 97th Avenue, NW 87th Avenue, Milam Dairy Road, Blue Lagoon area, Miami Intermodal Center, NW 27th Avenue, Orange Bowl, Government Center Station (downtown Miami), and the Port of Miami. Construction is scheduled to be completed between 2011 and 2017.

See also

• List of United States railroads
• List of Florida railroads

External links

• Miami-Dade Transit (http://www.miamidade.gov/transit)
• Miami-Dade Traffic Relief (http://www.trafficrelief.com)